Polenta with Vegetables-Polenta Upma Recipe-Polenta with Veggies

According to Wikipedia – Polenta is an Italian dish made by boiling cornmeal into a thick, solidified porridge, and directly consumed afterwards or baked, fried or grilled. I first prepared polenta, then allowed it to set, then sliced into small squares and made South Indian style polenta upma with lot of vegetables. It was so filling and delicious. Now polenta has become my latest favorite. Learn how to make polenta upma following this easy recipe with step wise pictures.

Polenta with Vegetables-Polenta Upma

Prep Time : 15 mins

Cook Time : 15 mins
Serves: 2
Recipe Category: Breakfast-Dinner
Recipe Cuisine: South Indian
Author:Padhu Sankar

Ingredients needed

For Cooking Polento

   Polenta -1/4 cup (Instant)
   Butter – 1 tsp
   Salt to taste

For the Upma

   Onion – 1/2 cup chopped
   Ginger – 1 inch piece finely chopped
   Carrot -1/2 cup chopped
   Capsicum – 1/3 cup chopped
   Sweet Corn -1/4 cup
   Beans – 5-6
   Tomato -1
   Salt to taste

For the seasoning

   Oil – 2 tbsp
   Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
   Urad dal – 1/2 tsp
   Red Chilli -1
   Hing – a pinch
   Green Chillies – 2 finely chopped
   Curry Leaves – a sprig

For Garnishing

Coriander Leaves – 2 tbsp finely chopped

Preparation

Chop all the vegetables finely.

Bring 1 cup of water to boil in a pan. When water starts boiling, add salt needed, lower the heat and add polenta steadily, stirring constantly. Cook stirring continuously until polenta is thickened. Add a tsp of butter and mix well. You can also add little dried herbs if preferred.

Now pour it into a greased baking tin and smooth out evenly with a spoon or spatula. As it cools, polenta will set. After it cools completely, you can refrigerate it for an hour or until firm.

After 1-2 hours

Invert and remove the set polenta on a tray and cut the polenta into small squares/cubes as shown below. Keep it aside.

Method

Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add urad dal, hing, red chillies, green chillies and curry leaves.

When dal turns golden brown, add finely chopped onion and ginger. Saute until onion turns transparent.

Then add beans, carrot, sweet corn and cook covered until tender. Sprinkle water if needed.

Add chopped tomatoes, capsicum and salt needed. Cook for a few more minutes until tomatoes become mushy.

Add the polenta squares and mix until well combined.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot. You do not need any side dish for this. If needed you can have it with tomato chutney or sauce.

Note – You can prepare the polenta the previous night and refrigerate.

Check out my Breakfast Polenta Porridge with nuts .

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